Once in a Blue Moon
by Scribe426
Summary: "Once in a blue moon" translates roughly to "almost never". The probability of the actual event? 3%. A blue moon isn't the only thing with that kind of probability, however...though the blue moon would probably be preferred. "Do you know them?" "No, but Tetsuya's told me about them." "Oh, they're a part of the basketball club...which means they're idiots." "I prefer ignorant."
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer**: I don't own KnB. Just Ayane.

* * *

**Prologue—I Think I Understand Now**

He didn't know when he first noticed it. All he knew was that when the ball fell through the net for what felt like the hundredth time that day, he felt it vanish. And then he felt it return before the ball even hit the ground. It was strange, to be aware of something so intangible. Before long, it was all he could think about. But he didn't let it show. He just continued to play even as his mind raced.

Someone was watching him. He didn't know whom. He hadn't even dared to look towards them yet. But he could feel their gaze. It wasn't threatening or anything of the sort. It was powerful, though. It felt like it was seeing something far beyond just him on the court. It was unsettling and made the hairs on the back of his neck rise.

The ball hit the rim of the net with a clang, breaking him out of whatever trance he had been in. For a moment, he stared at it in disbelief. He had just missed the basket. A growl slipped out unconsciously as he whirled around, fully intending to give the cause of such a mistake a piece of his mind. He saw a single girl standing just outside the courts, her eyes locked on the ball. After a brief second her gaze slid to him, the unsettling feeling returning. Blue clashed with blue as they stared at each other in silence.

"You were smiling…" she said quietly. Her words made him jump slightly. A scowl appeared on his face and his glare intensified.

"What do you want?" he demanded. The girl started as well, blinking her eyes quickly. They widened in shock as they focused on him, as if she was seeing him for the first time. "Well? You must want something, since you were staring at me for so long."

"I-I was?" the girl squeaked, a blush rising on her pale cheeks. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to! I just…" She trailed off suddenly, biting her lip.

He continued to watch her. When it became obvious she wasn't going to say anything more, his eyes darted to the ground. The ball still sat there, forgotten during their staring contest. Without thinking he picked it up. The second he did, he could feel her staring again. He slowly turned his head towards her. That blue gaze, so different from his own, was locked on the orange ball he held in his hands. He glanced between the two for a moment before holding it out towards her.

"Do you want to play?" he asked.

"I…" the girl said uncertainly, hesitating. She looked at him again. "Do you like playing?"

"Huh? Of course," he replied immediately. She frowned slightly.

"Why?" she asked.

"Why?" he repeated, confused. He tried to think of a reason. Failing, he let out an exasperated sigh. "Who cares why? I just do. Now do you want to play or not?"

"…I don't know how," the girl finally mumbled, the blush returning to her face. Her gaze darted away from his and her fingers rose to fiddle with the end of one of her pigtails.

"Then I'll teach you," he said in irritation. "So?"

"Alright then," she said. She walked onto the court until she was right in front of him. He had to look down a bit to maintain eye contact with her now. "So how do you play?"

* * *

"No!" she cried out as the ball bounced off the rim uselessly.

"Ha! I win again!" he crowed. He smirked at her triumphantly and she crossed her arms and pouted.

"No fair…" she huffed.

He ignored the comment as picked up the ball yet again. It was only as he leaned down that the thought crossed his mind. How long had the two of them been playing together anyway? He straightened and glanced at the sky. It was already turning orange with the fading sunlight, proof of the amount of time they had spent together. He thought on that for a moment before shrugging. It wasn't too late yet. He could stay out a little longer. He tossed the ball towards her. The girl raised her hands automatically and caught the ball with surprising ease.

"So you really never played before?" he asked her, suddenly curious. Basketball was so central to his own life that he found it strange that there was someone that had never played before.

"No, never," the girl replied, shaking her head. She stared at the ball in her hands, a small smile playing her lips. "But my brother plays."

"Oh?" he said with raised eyebrows. "Is he any good?"

"No," the girl sighed. "But he works so hard. He's almost always practicing. He wants to join the basketball club in middle school. I didn't know why. But after today, playing with you…I think I understand now."

"Huh?" he managed, blinking. Whatever she was saying, it didn't make too much sense to him.

"That smile," the girl said, gifting him with a wide smile of her own. "You're always smiling while you play. If my brother feels as happy as you do while he plays, then I understand why he loves it so much." Her body sank as she lifted the ball in preparation to shoot. The next moment she had straightened and jumped into the air, the ball leaving her hands. The net swished as it fell through. The girl grinned again. "And I think I might too. So thank you."

"Sure," he mumbled, his cheeks feeling hot. He couldn't understand why he was blushing. He snatched the ball off the ground, refusing to look at her anymore. "It's getting late so I should be heading home. Bye!" He started to run, determined to leave the cause of this strange feeling far behind them.

"Oh, bye!" the girl shouted after him, the wind carrying her voice to him. "And thanks for playing with me! Maybe we can do it again someday!"

He didn't stop running until he reached his house, the girl's words repeating over and over in his head. He stood in front of his door, panting. Play with her again? Probably not. He didn't even know her name. And school started in two days, the first day of his first year in middle school. Between that and basketball, because of course he planned on joining the basketball club, he didn't have time to chase after a nameless blue-eyed girl. Ignoring the feeling of disappointment, he opened the door and walked in.

And so the blue-eyed girl was forgotten.

* * *

**AN**: I wasn't planning on putting this up so soon, but seeing the results of that little one shot I put up yesterday got me excited. Thanks everyone who read/reviewed/favorited! Speaking of that one shot, it was actually a failed experiment for this story. So even though Ayane is in both, that one shot and this story have nothing to do with one another. Sorry if that disappoints anyone. Anywho, thanks for reading! I'll have the next chapter up soon!


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**: I don't own KnB. Just Ayane.

* * *

**Chapter 1—Because I ****_am_**** a Girl**

The only sound was the dull roar of the rain. Hundreds of drops hit the ground as they continued to pour from the sky. In contrast, the gym was scarily quiet. Practice had ended almost an hour ago by this point. Yet a few people still remained, all of them standing in the doorway of the gym as they watched the rain.

"I wanna go home," Kise pouted, shifting slightly. No one bothered with a reply to that, but they all agreed. All of them wanted to head home at this point. The deceptively sunny sky from this morning, however, kept them rooted to the spot. Not a single one of them had thought to grab an umbrella this morning. Now they were forced to wait for the storm to blow over.

"Of course this is how it ends up," Midorima groused, shooting a nasty look at the Russian nesting doll he held in his left hand. "I knew I should have gotten the bigger one. This one wasn't able to cancel out my bad luck for today."

"Then I blame you for this," Aomine drawled from his position against the doorframe. "You should remember this the next time you need to buy one of those things."

"Shut up," Midorima barked, adjusting his glasses. Though the subject was dropped, they all knew that the boy was taking that advice very seriously. The much joked about intervention would have to happen soon or else he'd be planning the birth of his children according to that ridiculous horoscope.

"I'm hungry~," Murasakibara said suddenly. He immediately began to rummage through his snack bag. A thought seemed to have crossed his mind, for he paused and glanced down at the redhead next to him. "Hey, Aka-chin, can I have a snack?"

"Fine, but only one," Akashi replied immediately. His foot tapped against the ground in an uncharacteristic show of impatience as he glared at the still falling rain. Had it been anything but a force of nature, the rain would have already stopped.

"Ah! I just remembered!" Kise shouted. Four pairs of eyes slid towards him. Kise gave a jubilant grin, practically bouncing in place. "Kurokocchi had an umbrella at practice this morning!"

The Generation of Miracles froze, suddenly remembering. Their phantom sixth man had indeed come to school with an umbrella. Considering the bright weather, they had teased him about it and then promptly forgotten. Now they realized Kuroko had probably been the smartest out of all of them. All five quickly looked around, hoping to spot the pale boy.

"Kuro-chin's gone," Murasakibara said, disappointment lacing his voice.

"So it would seem," Midorima sighed.

"I'm still here," a voice piped up. Akashi was the only one who didn't jump out of his skin at the voice, Aomine and Kise giving the added bonus of shocked yells. Kuroko stepped forward from his position behind the rest of them, his face blank as usual. "I've been here the whole time."

"Damn it Tetsu," Aomine forced out, still trying to recover. "We need to get you a bell or something."

"Absolutely not," Kuroko deadpanned. He gave a small sigh before continuing. "You all were saying something about an umbrella?"

"Yes! You brought one to school!" Kise quickly nodded. He then blinked in confusion. "Hey wait, if you have an umbrella why are you still here?"

"Ah, that," Kuroko said. "I don't have it."

"What? But, but…" Kise sputtered out, deflating as his last hope proved false.

"What happened to it, Kuroko?" Akashi asked in surprise. Kuroko seemed to hesitate before giving the closest thing to a shrug any of them had ever seen from him.

"I…gave it to someone else," he finally said.

"You gave it to someone else?" Aomine repeated. He grabbed Kuroko by the shoulders and began to shake him. "You gave it to some other person before your own partner? What kind of person does that?"

"Mine-chin, don't break Kuro-chin," Murasakibara cautioned as he reached out to rescue the smaller boy.

"Kurokocchi!" Kise cried, also going forward to rescue his teammate.

Before the blond reached him, however, Murasakibara successfully pulled Kuroko from Aomine's grasp. Surprised, Aomine stumbled forwards into the approaching Kise. The two fell into a tangle of limbs on the ground with various exclamations and swears. Akashi heaved an irritated sigh as he watched, though his gaze seemed distant.

"Honestly…" Midorima huffed as he took a calculated step away from the scuffle. Aomine and Kise continued to bicker as they tried to get back to their feet.

"Enough," Akashi finally snapped. The two froze, looking at their captain nervously. Akashi, however, ignored them and turned his attention to Kuroko, who was still being held by Murasakibara. "Kuroko, who did you give the umbrella to?"

Kuroko blinked his baby blue eyes once or twice, the only visible sign of his surprise. The other four gave far more obvious ones. They were all interested in who had the umbrella. Though Kuroko was unfailingly polite and kind, he wouldn't just randomly hand out his umbrella. Akashi's interest in the matter seemed different, more personal. As soon as they touched on that, everyone veered away quickly. That was a can of worms _no one_ wanted to open.

After a long moment of silence, Kuroko finally opened his mouth to answer. Yet it wasn't his words that broke the silence. It was a loud and out of place ringing. It took a second for it to be identified as a phone ringing and not anything more dangerous. Glances were then exchanged to locate the source. Surprisingly, it was Kuroko who answered the phone.

"Hello?" he said. Everyone watched quietly as he listened to the person on the other end. "I was waiting out the rain. I'm still at the school. Did you get home all right? …Good. I am glad I was able to be of some assistance." Akashi's eyes narrowed at that, though no words were said by anyone. "Is that so? Yes, I can. No, it's not a problem. Of course. Good bye." With that Kuroko ended the call and prepared to leave.

"Whoa, wait a sec Tetsu," Aomine suddenly said. He sat up from his position on the ground, causing Kise to tumble off of him. "What do you think you're doing?"

"It seems there are a few errands I have to run," Kuroko said absently.

"For the person on the phone?" Akashi asked. The question was innocently worded and politely presented, but there was no doubting the poison present.

"Yes," Kuroko said simply. He glanced at everyone before giving a short bow. "I will see everyone tomorrow then." And he stepped out into the downpour, becoming drenched in almost the same second.

"Wait, Kurokocchi!" Kise called after him, eyes wide in horror. "Don't go! It's still raining!"

"Aquarius did have the worst luck for today," Midorima said sagely. He was largely ignored.

"Hey, Aka-chin," Murasakibara said. "If Kuro-chin is leaving, does that mean the rest of us can leave as well?"

"No, Murasakibara, it does not," Akashi sighed. He seemed defeated somehow. That was ignored as well, though for the sake of their lives instead of exasperation.

"But why not?" Murasakibara whined. Akashi glared at him briefly before sighing again.

"Because walking out in this weather will make you sick," Akashi said with forced patience. Murasakibara thought on that for a moment.

"Does that mean Kuro-chin is going to get sick?" he finally asked. No one bothered to reply to that.

* * *

When Kuroko failed to show up for morning practice the next day, no one was surprised. After his escapade the day before, everyone just assumed that he was at home in bed with a fever and a runny nose. Considering Kuroko's character, no one had any reason to question that assumption. Even Aomine agreed with it. Which is why he was completely surprised that afternoon when he saw Kuroko vanish around a corner.

At first, Aomine just stared at the spot and blinked. There was no way that had been Kuroko. That person, whoever they had been, was headed in the _opposite_ direction of the gym they used for practice. Not to mention there had been a girl trailing just behind them. The only reason any of that would apply to Kuroko, should he actually be at school, would be if there was a blue moon and pigs grew wings. Aomine shook his head quickly. Even _then_ it would probably be impossible.

But there was one thing that made all of that irrelevant. Even though it had only been a quick glimpse, Aomine was sure of one thing: that person had had powder blue hair. Though he was often overlooked, Kuroko actually had very distinctive looks. And he was the only person Aomine knew of with that color of hair. So, as unlikely as it seemed, it had been Kuroko he had seen.

That confirmation was what finally spurred Aomine into moving. A scowl marred his face and irritation fueled his steps. If Kuroko was well enough to be in school, then he was more than well enough to come to practice. Or, if he really did want to skip practice, then he should have told Aomine so they could skip together. That's what partners did, after all. Not surprisingly, it wasn't long before Kuroko came into view again. The girl who had been following him was already gone. Aomine sped up slightly.

"Oi, Tetsu!" Aomine called out. Surprisingly, the little bluenette didn't turn around. Aomine gritted his teeth and walked even faster, his long legs eating up the distance between them. He grabbed Kuroko's arm, making the other turn slightly in surprise. But Aomine was already dragging him back towards the gym.

"H-Hey, wait a second!" Kuroko said in surprise, trying uselessly to remove his arm from Aomine's grasp.

"Oh no you don't," Aomine snapped, turning his head to glare at his partner. "You were trying to skip again. Without _me_. That's just not…"

Aomine's voice trailed off and his footsteps slowed but didn't stop, his eyes widening in shock as he finally processed what he was seeing. Just as he had already confirmed, the hair was the same powder blue. He could now confirm that the eyes were the exact shade of baby blue he was more than familiar with. This person even looked like Kuroko. Logically, this meant it _was_ Kuroko. But at the same time, it _wasn't_ Kuroko. Two pigtails were tied on either side of this person's head, the ends just brushing what was very obviously _not_ the chest of a male. The face Aomine swore he knew as well as the back of his hand was softer and the always-present poker face was noticeably missing. Instead, confusion and surprise were etched into every feature and danced in the usually blank blue eyes.

"…the _hell_?" Aomine finally said, those two words loaded with every once of bafflement he could muster. Kuroko opened his mouth to reply, only to instead widen his eyes at something in front of Aomine.

"Watch out!" Kuroko cried in a voice that was definitely higher pitched than normal.

"What?" Aomine asked blankly, turning his head around to see what had surprised his partner. The minute he did, his face came into contact with a wall. Kuroko bumped into him from behind, only to tumble to the ground when Aomine jumped backwards cursing, both hands clapped over his nose.

"Ouch…" Kuroko mumbled, getting back to his feet a bit disgruntled. He brushed himself off before turning back to Aomine, who was still clutching his nose and swearing. His eyes widened almost immediately. "Are you okay?"

"_No_, I am not okay," Aomine snapped, glaring at his partner with slightly blurred eyes. He pulled one of his hands away from his face to see it dotted with blood. "I just ran into a wall."

"Right…" Kuroko mumbled, blushing a bit. Aomine stared at this development in horror. The more he was faced with this strange development, the more he was forced to admit to himself a very uncomfortable fact. Aomine was _attracted_ to Kuroko right now. Though he had never been drawn to Kuroko as a male, right now he made a very pretty girl. But since he wasn't a girl, this meant that Aomine was just attracted to Kuroko in general, right? He was jolted out of his thoughts by a small piece of fabric being shoved in his face. Kuroko looked up at him with an earnest expression. "Here, use this."

"Thanks," Aomine managed to say before taking the handkerchief and quickly pressing it against his nose. He stared at his shorter partner for a long moment before giving an irritated sigh. "Why the_ hell_ are you dressed like that?"

"Eh?" Kuroko blinked, glancing down at himself. Aomine followed his gaze as well. Rather than his usual uniform or even the clothes he wore to practice, Kuroko was currently wearing a black skirt, what seemed to be a slightly oversized sweater, and a blue shirt. In other words, it was the girls' school uniform. An outfit that, Aomine admitted to himself reluctantly, the boy was pulling off rather well. Kuroko looked back towards Aomine in confusion. "Is there something wrong with what I'm wearing?"

"Is there…" Aomine sputtered. One hand gestured wildly towards Kuroko while the other held the handkerchief firmly to his face. "You're dressed like _that_ and you ask me if something is wrong? Have you gone nuts?"

"Um…" Kuroko said hesitantly, biting his lip nervously. He seemed to think something over before continuing to speak. "I think there's been some kind of misunderstanding."

"No shit!" Aomine shouted, forcing himself not to stare at the lip Kuroko was _still_ biting. Why did Kuroko have to make such a pretty girl? "Do you mind explaining to me why you're dressed as a girl?"

"Because I _am_ a girl," Kuroko said reproachfully, giving Aomine a baleful look. Aomine stared at him in shock before shaking his head quickly.

"No, no you're not," Aomine said firmly. "I've seen you in the locker room. You are _definitely_ a guy, Tetsu." Even _if_ there was a blue moon and pigs could suddenly fly, there was no way Kuroko thought he was or had any desire to be a girl. At least, Aomine hoped that was the case because otherwise things were going to be really awkward between the two of them from now on.

"Tetsu…" Kuroko repeated thoughtfully. Then his face lit up in understanding. "Oh! You think I'm Tetsuya!"

"Uh…" Aomine said brilliantly, suddenly confused. He _thought_ this was Kuroko? Wasn't it Kuroko? "Because you _are_ Tetsu, right?"

"No," Kuroko denied with a shake of his head, his pigtails flying through the air. "Tetsuya's my brother."

"Your brother," Aomine repeated blankly. His brain had officially stopped working. "You're Tetsu's…sister?"

"I'm Kuroko Ayane, Tetsuya's younger twin sister," Kuroko said while giving a smile that made Aomine's heart skip a beat and his mind wonder why Kuroko of all people was smiling. "It's nice to meet you."

"Ah…" Aomine managed, struggling to form a coherent thought. The person standing before him wasn't Kuroko but Kuroko's _sister_. A sister that he had never heard of before. And a sister that Aomine couldn't help but admit he was attracted to. At least the sister was female. It was easier than trying to deal with a sudden attraction to his partner.

"And you're Aomine-kun, right?" she continued. Aomine's eyes widened even further in surprise. The girl just smiled again. "Tetsuya's mentioned you a few times. You can just call me Ayane, almost everyone does. So then, were you looking for Tetsuya?"

"…Not exactly," Aomine muttered unwillingly. "Just thought you were him, that's all."

"Oh," Ayane said. Her fingers came up to fiddle with the end of one of her pigtails. "I see. It's not the first time it's happened."

"Right," Aomine mumbled. An awkward silence reigned for a long moment.

"What about your nose?" Ayane said suddenly. She looked up at him again, worry obvious in her eyes. "Is it going to be all right?"

"What?" Aomine said. He removed the handkerchief from his nose. "Yeah, it'll be fine. It's already stopped bleeding."

"Okay then," Ayane said. "You can give the handkerchief back to me later. Or just give it to Tetsuya."

"Sure," Aomine said, turning away. "I better head to practice now."

"Of course," Ayane nodded. "It was nice to meet you."

"You too," Aomine muttered as he walked away.

Aomine didn't offer a word of complaint at the punishment Akashi gave him for being late. His mind was too wrapped up in thoughts about the girl he had just met. The girl who was Kuroko's twin sister.

* * *

**AN**: Well, here's chapter 1, just like I promised. I hope it's better than the prologue. I know that wasn't really all that interesting, but trust me, there's a reason I wrote it. Next chapter we'll learn a little bit more about Ayane, I promise.


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer**: I don't own KnB. Just Ayane. Oh, and Hana.

* * *

**Chapter 2—Why Didn't you Tell me you were a Cross-Dresser?**

Nobuki Hana had been witness to many of the misunderstandings that surrounded the Kuroko twins. Some, like her own, were laughable (in her defense, she was five and there may have been a dress or two involved). Some of them were irritating. Others could have been easily avoided. Yet the one she found herself seeing now could only be categorized as odd.

It had started simply enough. Hana and Ayane had been heading towards the cafeteria for lunch as normal. Their conversation had been inconsequential. In fact, Hana couldn't even remember what they had been talking about. Either way, everything had been the same as always. Then Hana heard the light giggles of the other girls around them. She didn't get any time to think on it.

"Kurokocchi!" a voice shouted. The next moment a blonde missile slammed into Ayane. With a cry of surprise, Ayane tumbled to the ground, the missile with her.

Hana stared at the tangle of limbs on the ground, fighting against the urge to laugh. Kise Ryouta, up and coming model, member of the basketball team, and school heartthrob, was apparently the blonde missile. And right now he was what could only be called cuddling Ayane to within an inch of her life. The bluenette was struggling in his grasp desperately, her face stained with bright red. Of course, Kise apparently didn't even notice and just held her tighter. The giggles that had announced the arrival of the blonde had already turned to whispers and glares. Yes, though extraordinarily entertaining, this situation was odd.

"Kurokocchi, I missed you!" Kise was saying, rubbing his cheek against the top of Ayane's head. "I haven't seen you since this morning!"

"Cchi?" Ayane squeaked, pausing in her struggles. She turned her eyes to Hana desperately. "Hana-chan, please!"

"All right, all right," Hana sighed. She grabbed the back of Kise's shirt and yanked. "Down boy!" The words came out automatically, without any thought. Hana regretted saying them, yet they seemed oddly appropriate. As he was now Kise best resembled an over-exuberant puppy. In a way it suited him far better than any of his other roles.

"Urk!" Kise coughed as he fell backwards, his arms still wrapped tight around Ayane.

"Gah!" Ayane cried as she was dragged with him.

"Drop!" Hana commanded, shaking Kise lightly. Almost automatically Kise loosened his arms. Ayane immediately scooted away, her face still red. "Good boy. Ayane, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Ayane muttered, staring at the floor.

"Huh?" Kise said, blinking. He glanced behind him at Hana, confusion on his face. Then he turned back to Ayane and stared for a long moment. Then he gasped. "Kurokocchi, why didn't you tell me you were a cross-dresser?"

"…huh?" Ayane said, staring. The red was finally leaving her face and now she looked just as confused as Kise. "I'm not…"

"You should have told me!" Kise scolded, ignoring Ayane. "I could have been picking out clothes for you all this time! I could make you look more adorable than you already do! Why didn't you tell me, Kurokocchi?"

Hana couldn't take it anymore. She doubled over laughing with tears in her eyes. The rest of the hall was silent, torn between jealously and utter confusion. After all, Kise was obviously fond of the bluenette and many of the girls would sell their souls to be in that position. On the other hand, Kise was saying this person was a cross-dresser. None of them could explain that. Ayane looked like she was about ready to cry from either embarrassment or laughter. No one could really decide which. Kise's eyes were just darting between the two girls, confused yet again. Hana finally recovered, her eyes meeting Ayane's.

"I never thought anyone could screw up worse than me," Hana managed, struggling to catch her breath.

"We're not supposed to talk about that," Ayane practically whispered. Both girls' eyes darted from side to side with fearful expressions on their faces.

* * *

On the other side of the school, Kuroko sneezed. He blinked his eyes slowly, a strange feeling suddenly appearing.

"I think someone talked about something they weren't supposed to," he muttered to himself. He thought about it for another moment. "No, she wouldn't…"

With that Kuroko turned back to his book.

* * *

When the threat on their lives faded, both girls gave a sigh of relief. Then Ayane turned back to the matter at hand with a quick shake of her head.

"Anyway…" Ayane said, turning her attention back to the blonde. "Um, Kurokocchi?"

"Of course!" Kise beamed. Sparkles seemed to surround him and the girls squealed. Hana just sighed. Ayane just blinked in surprise.

"Uh, well, when you say that, you mean Tetsuya, right?" Ayane pressed.

"Who else would I mean?" Kise said with a frown. He peered at Ayane. "Are you feeling all right, Kurokocchi? You're acting really weird."

"Um, okay then," Ayane nodded. She got back to her feet with a deep breath. "This is going to sound strange, but I'm not Tetsuya. He's my twin brother. My name is Kuroko Ayane. And the girl behind you is Nobuki Hana, my best friend. It's nice to meet you, Kise-kun."

Ayane finally paused in her monologue, watching Kise expectantly. However the blonde gave no reaction at all. He was completely frozen. In fact, it was questionable whether he was even breathing. Hana just sighed, shaking her head. No matter how many people the bluenette told about her brother, there was always that many more who didn't know. Ayane stared down at Kise worriedly. She finally offered him a hand, a hesitantly smile on her face.

"Here, I'll help you up," she said, stretching her hand out a bit more. Kise didn't move. He didn't even blink. Hana finally let go of the back of his shirt and instead placed her hands on her friend's shoulders.

"Come on, let's go, Ayane," Hana murmured, gently steering Ayane away.

"But Kise-kun…" Ayane protested, twisting around to look at the still frozen blonde.

"Is in shock right now," Hana said soothingly. "He'll be all right in a few minutes. Let's go get lunch, okay?"

"Okay…" Ayane nodded, turning away.

The two continued their way to the cafeteria. Hana spent most of the time cursing to herself. She had just realized she hadn't taken a single picture of the entire event.

* * *

Ten minutes later, Kise was still seated on the hallway floor. People shot him strange looks as they walked around him. The girls from before were still there, whispering among themselves.

"Is he okay?" one whispered.

"I don't know," another replied, looking at the frozen blonde worriedly.

"Do you think we should say something to him?" a third tried. Suddenly Kise jumped to his feet, startling his fans.

"Eh?" he shrieked. "Sister?"

Kise then shot down the hallway, still struggling to understand what he had just learned. Unsurprisingly, he bumped into someone and, again, he fell to the ground.

"Ow…" he groaned, sitting up.

"Watch where you're going, you idiot," a familiar voice said gruffly.

"Aominecchi!" Kise shouted, bouncing back to his feet. Aomine stared at the other impassively, waiting for the blonde to continue. "Aominecchi, you will never _believe_ what I just saw!"

"Really?" Aomine drawled. He crossed his arms expectantly. Kise took a deep breath.

"Well I was just walking down the hallway when I saw Kurokocchi," Kise started, babbling. "So I hugged him just like I always do. But then he had a friend who ordered me around like a dog, and you know I'm not a dog, and so I had to let him go. I got a good look at him and then I realized he was dressed like a girl! I asked him why he didn't tell me he was a cross-dresser because it would have been awesome to pick out his clothes for him. He seemed really confused and his friend started laughing! So I asked him what was going on and it turns out it wasn't actually Kurokocchi! It was his _sister_! Aominecchi, Kurokocchi has a _sister_!"

Aomine blinked his eyes in surprise. While he had blocked out most of Kise's rant, he had caught onto one specific word. Kise had very clearly said sister. If Kise was panicking about a sister, that meant he had met Ayane. Aomine couldn't deny how happy he was to hear someone else mention the girl. It had been three days since his encounter with her and, in all that time, he hadn't seen her once. If it weren't for the handkerchief he still had in his pocket, he would think the entire encounter hadn't happened at all. As it was, he was questioning whether Kuroko actually had a sister. Maybe it had been what he had thought in the beginning and Kuroko had just been dressed as a girl. Yet now Kise had seen her too.

"Wait, you met Ayane-chan?" Aomine said quickly. Kise blinked at Aomine, his jaw hanging in surprise.

"You know her?" Kise demanded.

"I met her a few days ago," Aomine said, rubbing the back of his head. "You know, the day Tetsu was gone. I was thinking I had just imagined the whole thing."

"So I'm not crazy," Kise sighed in relief. Aomine raised his eyebrows at that, silently questioning that statement. Kise didn't notice and continued. "So then…why didn't we know about her?"

"I don't know," Aomine admitted. "You'd think that'd be the type of thing to mention to your teammates."

"Yeah," Kise nodded. He fell silent for a moment, thinking. Then he beamed. "She was really pretty though."

"Yeah, she was," Aomine muttered. The two boys realized what the other had said and turned to each other, their stares challenging. Before any real contest could begin, something interrupted them.

"Who was pretty?" a quiet voice said.

"Ah!" Kise and Aomine shrieked, jerking in the direction of the voice. Kuroko stood next to them, looking up at them almost expectantly. A threatening aura emanated from the bluenette, warning the other two to watch their next words carefully. Connecting what they had just been talking about with Kuroko's current attitude, Aomine wisely said nothing. Kise, however, was not so lucky.

"Kurokocchi!" Kise shouted, frowning. "Why didn't you tell us you had a pretty sister?"

"…What?" Kuroko said dangerously.

"Kise…" Aomine muttered, hoping the blonde would get the hint. Kise didn't.

"Yeah, I just ran into her in the hallway," Kise said, hopping slightly in excitement. "I thought she was you, but she wasn't! And she was really pretty and nice! Why did you never tell us about her?"

"I see, so you met her…" Kuroko said quietly. He seemed lost in thought. Kise seemed to remember something and turned to Aomine instead.

"And why didn't you mention something sooner?" Kise asked. Kuroko's eyes shot to the other bluenette and Aomine made desperate gestures for Kise not to continue. Yet again, the blonde did not take the hint. "You've known about her for three days. Why didn't you tell any of the rest of us about her?"

"Kise-kun, Aomine-kun," Kuroko finally said. Kise and Aomine cowered away from him, in their minds his dark aura dancing around him like flames. "It seems you've met my sister. This means we have a few things to talk about. If you wouldn't mind following me."

Kuroko pivoted and walked away. Kise and Aomine followed without a word, both of them far too terrified to even consider running away. The three of them vanished into the nearest empty classroom, the door shutting behind them ominously.

* * *

Kise and Aomine left the room with pale, battle worn faces. For the rest of the day, people continuously asked them what was wrong. Neither was able to give an answer. They both just shuddered and looked away. When pressed, Kise finally offered a single sentence.

"Kurokocchi is _way_ scarier than Akashicchi."

* * *

**AN**: So here is it, chapter 2! I'm so sorry it took so long. I was engaged in a staring contest with my screen for a very long time. The screen usually won...anyway. Thank you everyone who reviewed/followed/favorited! Hopefully you'll all stick around for the next chapter!


	4. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer**: I don't own KnB. Just Ayane. Oh, and Hana.

* * *

**Chapter 3—Who Knew He Had a Feminine Side**

The final bell rang and the classroom was filled with the sounds of students preparing to leave. Midorima began to quickly pack away his things, uneasily glancing towards the clock every few seconds. His horoscope had said today was not his day for deadlines. Even with the tropical snow globe that was functioning as his lucky item, he had been cutting it close all day. All he had left was basketball and that was the last thing in the world he wanted to be late for. Who knew what kind of punishment Akashi would give him if it came to that? Midorima wasn't exactly eager to find out.

"Wait, Aomine-kun!" a voice called as Midorima got to his feet. The greenette turned his head to see one of his classmates standing by the door, an exasperated look on her face.

"Did you need him for something?" a second girl asked, walking towards her.

"No, but he dropped this," the first girl said, showing her friend something in her hand. "I was just trying to give it back."

"Well, why don't you just ask Midorima-kun to give it back?" the second girl said, her eyes locked on the boy as he tried to slip past them out the door. Midorima paused almost guiltily. "The two of them are in the basketball club, after all. I'm sure he'll see him."

"Could you, Midorima-kun?" the first girl asked, turning to look at the greenette.

"Fine," Midorima grumbled.

"Thank you," the girl said, offering the object.

Midorima juggled his own belongings to free a hand, took it, and left. A countdown in bright red numbers appeared in his mind. Even though he knew exactly how long it took for him to get to the gym and that he had more than enough time, he couldn't help but be paranoid. The horoscope was never wrong, after all. He tried to tighten his grip on his snow globe for reassurance, only to nearly drop it instead.

Without thinking, Midorima dropped everything else he was holding and caught his lucky item with both hands. He released the breath he didn't know he was holding in relief. The people passing by were shooting him strange looks, but he ignored them in favor of picking up the things he had dropped. A piece of fabric caught his eye, making him pause. It was a handkerchief. And it wasn't his. His was in his pocket, like it always was.

"Aomine," Midorima said out loud, remembering the girl from the doorway. She had given him something to return to the bluenette and, in his rush, he hadn't taken the time to look at it. The handkerchief must have been it. Midorima picked it up as well and got back to his feet. His feet began moving towards the gym again, his mind no longer filled with the countdown.

There were many words a person could use to describe Aomine. Idiotic. Lazy. Arrogant. But the word "feminine" wasn't on that list, not even at the very bottom. Aomine wasn't girly in the slightest. Yet the handkerchief Midorima had been given to return to him was most definitely girly. Simple lace lined the edge of it and it was a clean white, far cleaner than Midorima would ever expect of Aomine. If this really was Aomine's handkerchief, then there was obviously a side to the ace none of them knew about.

"Midorima," a voice called.

Midorima turned towards it almost immediately, his subconscious identifying it before the rest of his mind managed to catch up. Akashi stood next to him, a questioning look on his face. Midorima blinked and looked around himself. He was still standing in the hallway. Somewhere in the middle of his contemplation, he had stopped walking. Midorima scowled slightly and began walking again, Akashi easily keeping pace with him.

"Akashi," Midorima finally acknowledged, realizing his captain was going to stay with him the entire way to the gym.

"Is something the matter?" Akashi asked. He tilted his head slightly. "You were standing there for a while."

"No, nothing is the matter," Midorima said quickly, adjusting his glasses in embarrassment. His eyes flicked to the handkerchief again. "I was just confused for a moment."

"About?" Akashi pressed.

"This," Midorima relented, knowing Akashi wouldn't leave it be if he was interested. He offered the handkerchief, which Akashi accepted in curiosity. "I was given that to return to Aomine."

"To Aomine?" Akashi repeated in disbelief. He looked at the fabric he was holding with wide eyes. Aomine using such a thing…the image was almost laughable.

"Exactly," Midorima nodded, relieved he wasn't the only one who thought it was a bit strange. Akashi began to look over the handkerchief closely, as if the answer to this riddle was hidden somewhere in the threads.

"Who knew he actually had a feminine side," Akashi muttered. He came to a sudden halt, eyes sharp. "Wait a moment. This isn't Aomine's."

"What?" Midorima said in surprise, stopping as well. Akashi quickly adjusted the handkerchief to focus on a specific corner. Midorima leaned in closer to get a better look.

"See, here," Akashi said, pointing. The corner they were looking at had initials on it in a light blue thread. Only they weren't Aomine's initials. "If this were Aomine's, then this would be A.D. This says K.A."

"The girl said Aomine dropped this," Midorima said, thinking out loud. "If it isn't his, than whose is it? And why did he have it?"

"Who indeed…" Akashi mused, tapping his chin in thought. One could practically see the light bulb go off above his head. "Aren't the test scores still posted?"

"I believe so," Midorima frowned. "Why?"

"All of the second years' test scores are posted," Akashi explained. He turned and began to walk quickly, Midorima just a step behind him. "Including K.A.'s."

Midorima immediately understood. All they had to do was find the name with the initials K.A. on the list. One of them was surely the owner of the handkerchief. They could then ask that person why Aomine of all people had it. The two continued down the hall at a quick pace, eager to solve their mystery.

* * *

"Oi, how much longer are we supposed to wait?" Aomine called. He was sprawled out across the gym floor, one arm behind his head. His single open eye flickered over his teammates lazily.

"It's unlike Akashi-kun to be late," Kuroko observed quietly.

"And where's Mido-chin?" Murasakibara added as he munched on his chips.

"Hey, if Akashicchi doesn't show up, does that mean we can go home?" Kise said suddenly, grinning at the idea.

"Idiot," came the resounding reply. None of them were crazy enough to skip practice without Akashi's permission, even if the redhead didn't show up.

"Then what are we supposed to do?" Kise whined. "I'm bored."

"Maybe we should warm up," Kuroko suggested.

The others grumbled a bit, but complied. It was a better option that just sitting around, anyway.

* * *

Akashi was seething. Midorima kept a careful distance between them, clutching his snow globe almost in prayer. The wall in front of them was blank, only a few scraps of paper left behind. The list was gone. The teachers had taken it down only moments before the two boys had arrived. In some strange twist of fate, the universe was plotting _against_ Akashi. Midorima clutched the snow globe even tighter.

"We could always just give the handkerchief back to Aomine," Midorima offered hesitantly. Akashi just gave him a scathing look. Midorima sighed quietly, resigning himself to the quest.

Why the two of them were so determined to know was a bit of a mystery. After all, it was just a handkerchief. Yet it was something Akashi hadn't known about. It wasn't so much that he _wanted_ to know but that he _should_ know. He should know everything about his teammates, even their secrets. The fact that Aomine had tried to hide something just made him want to know more. Midorima was just being dragged along for the ride, though he too was curious.

The hallway was silent as the two of them thought about their next move. Then there were footsteps and voices.

"I said no," the first voice snapped.

"But Hana-chan," a second whined. "I really want one and Tetsuya can't come with me. _Please_?"

"No means no," the first voice insisted. Then a sigh. "I really don't understand how you two are so obsessed. What is so great about a vanilla milkshake?"

"It's good," the second voice said simply. The tone reminded both Akashi and Midorima of Kise, flowers appearing before their eyes much like it did when their teammate was there.

A second later, two girls came around the corner. They continued their conversation, maybe argument, as they approached, oblivious to the boys' presence. Akashi and Midorima, however, noticed them. Or, more specifically, one of them. Midorima stared openly, his mind reeling. He couldn't form a coherent thought. Akashi seemed just as surprised, though he hid it far better. The girl was familiar and yet unfamiliar. It was…

"Kuroko?" Akashi tried, his voice somewhere between shocked and scolding. If it really _was_ Kuroko, this was not where the boy was supposed to be. Actually, Midorima thought in a far corner of his mind, this wasn't where they were supposed to be either. The girls paused, finally looking up.

"Hm?" the Kuroko lookalike said, blinking slightly. "Aren't you…was practice cancelled?"

"Do you know them?" the other girl said, practically glaring at them. The boys recognized they were staring and corrected themselves.

"No, not really," the Kuroko lookalike said with a shake of her head, her pigtails shifting as she did so. "But I've seen them at the games and Tetsuya's told me about them."

"Oh, so they're in the basketball club," the other girl said with a sage nod. "That makes more sense." She paused, thinking. "Which means…"

"Are you Kuroko?" Midorima forced out, his mind still stalling. The girls looked at him almost pityingly and Akashi sighed in annoyance.

"…that they're idiots," the girl finished with a slight sneer.

"Hana-chan," the Kuroko lookalike whispered fearfully as the temperature dropped a few degrees.

"I prefer to think we are simply ignorant," Akashi said lightly, barely hiding his irritation. He focused on the Kuroko lookalike. "You seem to have the advantage, Kuroko-san. You know who we are, yet we don't know you. I am Akashi Seijurou. And you are?"

"You seem to know though," the Kuroko lookalike pointed out innocently. After all, Akashi had addressed her specifically. Akashi just stared at her, waiting. The girl frowned. "Kuroko Ayane. Tetsuya is my twin brother. And I know that you are Akashi-kun and Midorima-kun. It's nice to meet you."

"Nobuki Hana," the other girl added. Her eyebrows rose slightly. "What are you two doing here anyway? Don't you have practice?"

"Of course," Akashi said smoothly. He pulled out the handkerchief that had caused this situation to begin with. "I was wondering, Kuroko-san, if this was yours?"

Midorima blinked in surprise as realization flooded him. Kuroko Ayane. K.A. But surely it couldn't…

"Ah!" Ayane said in surprise, accepting the fabric. "My handkerchief!"

Apparently it could.

"I'm glad we found the owner," Akashi said with a slight smile. Midorima was still of the impression the captain was furious, but decided not to say anything about it.

"How come you two have it?" Hana asked with a frown.

"A classmate of mine dropped it," Midorima said, the first words he had spoken since his rather embarrassing outburst. "I was asked to return it to them, but since it is actually yours…" Midorima gave a nonchalant shrug.

"Thank you," Ayane said. She stared at the handkerchief for a long moment. Then she frowned again, looking at the redhead suspiciously. "But…how did you know it was mine?"

"Just a guess," Akashi answered simply. He stared at Ayane. "It's a wonder we've never met before. After all, I know Kuroko quite well."

"I suppose not as well as you thought you did," Ayane said smoothly. Hana seemed surprised at the venom in her friend's voice. Midorima was shocked as well that the seemingly sweet girl could sound like that. "But everyone is entitled to a private life, right, Akashi-kun?"

"Of course," Akashi said. The two looked at each other with pleasant expressions even as the air around them turned dark. Midorima and Hana stepped away.

"Scary…" Hana muttered.

"Indeed," Midorima agreed.

"Well, now that that's settled," Akashi finally said. He glanced at Midorima. "Let's go, Midorima, we're late."

"Right," Midorima said quickly.

"It was nice to meet you, Kuroko-san, Nobuki-san," Akashi said with a final wave.

"And you," Ayane said with a nod of her head.

With that, they parted ways.

* * *

"What was that about?" Hana asked as they walked down the hallway, glancing over her shoulder at the boys. "You don't usually get angry like that…"

"I don't like him," Ayane said simply as she placed her handkerchief in her pocket. "People are allowed to have secrets."

"Er, right…" Hana said, not quite following. She remained silent, worrying a bit over her friend's dark aura. Then she sighed. "Do you still want that milkshake?"

"Really?" Ayane asked happily, flowers appearing and dispelling the darkness. In many ways, Ayane was simple.

* * *

"What are you four doing?" Akashi barked as he stepped into the gym.

Aomine, Kise, Murasakibara, and Kuroko jumped guiltily, quickly sitting up from their positions on the floor. A few basketballs were on the floor around them. It was obvious they had not been practicing.

"Ah, you're here," Murasakibara drawled.

"What do you mean what are we doing, what were you doing?" Aomine said loudly with false bravado. "We've been here this whole time and…" He quailed at the glare delivered by Akashi.

"I told you we should have gone home…" Kise muttered under his breath. Then he gave a cry of pain as Aomine hit him.

"Akashi-kun, you're late," Kuroko said almost accusingly.

"Yes," Akashi said, ignoring the tone. He thought to himself. "Kise, Murasakibara, you're training is doubled. Midorima, tripled. And Aomine, quadrupled."

"What?" Aomine shouted. "What did I do?"

"I was with you this whole time," Midorima said almost desperately.

"Handkerchief," was all Akashi said. Midorima fell silent, understanding. Akashi apparently did not like Ayane. Aomine's eyes widened comically, his hand darting to his pocket.

"And me, Akashi-kun?" Kuroko piped up, looking a bit confused.

"Ah, Kuroko," Akashi said. He thought to himself for a moment. "Would you like a vanilla milkshake?" The muted flowers that appeared were more than an answer. "Everyone else, I will see you in the morning. Kuroko, shall we?"

Akashi and Kuroko left quickly. Everyone else remained in the gym, mouths gaping.

"What the hell just happened?" Aomine shouted.

"I knew I shouldn't have been late," Midorima sighed, again reveling in the accuracy of Oha-Asa.

"Kuro-chin gets a milkshake," Murasakibara pouted.

"I wanna go home~!" Kise wailed.

It was dark by the time they finally left the gym. None of them were dumb enough to skip out on their punishment, even if Akashi wasn't there to observe it.

* * *

**AN**: I wasn't sure how this was going to turn out, since Akashi and Midorima don't really set themselves up for funny situations. But I'm more than happy with this chapter. Ayane and Akashi is surprisingly fun to write. And now I want a milkshake...Thanks to everyone who has read/reviewed/favorited/followed! Means a lot! And I hope you guys liked this chapter too.


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